Elastic wheel.



H. G. BALDWIN.

ELASTIG WHEEL.

APPLNATION FILED JULY 11, 19u.

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' of the rubber HENRY G. BALDWIN, 0F SAN FRANC'fSCfl, CALIFORNIA.

ELASTIC "WHEEL Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July l, llll.

raient-eli nay in, mia. Serial No. 637,904.

To all whom it may concern:

it known that l, l-luNnv (t. lAiowiN, citizen" of the United States residing in the citv and county of ban Francisco vand Stareof California, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElasticW heels, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention-relates to vehicle wheels and particularly to vehicle wheels rendered elastic by the introduction of'tlexible mcdiums between a central Heating wheel mem- .ber and a tread portion., Y

The object of the invention is to provide a substantial, reliable, easily mounted and coinparatively inexpensive resilient 'wheel for vehicles and'particularly to provide an elastic Wheel involving a plurality of substantial resilient members, llexibly connected to a central wheel and which are adapted to yield or give under the load imposed on the hub of the wheel while the structure is moving over a roadway.

l l l The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l a side elevation in partial section of the wheel. Fig. 2 isa cross section on line X X, Fig. l. F is a perspective view bumper and supporting bracket. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the leaf spring connecting links.

In the present embodiment of my invention 2 represents a wheel center having a huh 3 and' a felly 4 upon the exterior surface of which is ajipropriately secured a metallic band or rim 5, and the bearing portion of the wheel is indicated as a resilient cushion or rubber tire 6, which is mounted upon a rim 7 of suitable material. The rim 7 is linedvwith a' wooden or. other ring 8, which is secured to the rim 7 by a plurality of bolts or o-ther suitable locking devices 9, which project suliciently through the interior of the rim 7 to receive beneath the nuts l() of the bolts 9, a plurality of resilient members, here shown as leaf springs 1l, of which a suitable number may be employed. The fastening screws or bolts 9 are employed in pairs which are alteri'iately disposed onopposite sides of the peripheral center line through the rim 8. There may be as many sets of springs employed as is desired, and I have shown four sets on each eide of the wheel and these sets are alternately disposed relatively to each other, so that the load equally d ltirilmted through all of the several sets ot springs under ormai conditions.

Certain leaves ll el' the spring sets are of sullicient length to be drawn down toward the band which is secured on the felly 4- on the cent-ral. wheel and the adjacent ends l2 of sets of springs ll on. their respective sides are secured to the felly il by means of links 13 secured to the ends l2 ofthe springs ll by suitable 4pins or other pivot members 1l.

The links 13 which are employed in pairs at each of the ends l2 of the springs ll. are mounted upon rivets or other equivalentl devices l5 which are secured in substantially Usshaped clips 1G. These clips 1G are disposed in slots 17 formed at suitable intervals around the felly -l and extending radially .from the clips 16 are screw threaded shanks 18 which project through perforations 19 in the fclly s, and are adapted to receive locking nutsI 20fon their innerV ends which are adapted to be jammed up against the inner' surface of thefelly t.

As stated, there are four llon one side ofthe wheel and four sets on the opposite side which latter are so disposed thattheir ends l2 are approximately even with that portion of the opposite sets of springs ll which have their central portions bolted to the rim 7. Preferably, the exterior diameter of the band 5 and the interior diameter of the rim 7 is such as to llow ample space for the molmting of the several sets of springs ll between them, and to allow a reasonable amount of ec centric movement to the wheel body 2 to and from the rim 7 as different conditions nmy require.

ln order to limit excessive eccentric movement of the wheel components and to prevent injury to the several parts by any excessive movement, l interpose cushions or buffers 2l between the band 5 and the rim 7 and these buffers can be attached very readily by mounting them against the inner of the several springs ll and securing them in place by suitable clips 22, perforated to pass over the inner ends of the locking bolts 9. and which. will be held in place by the nuts l0 when secured down upon the bolts 9.

Foreign material is excluded from access to the space between the outside of the felly i and the inside of the rim V7 by attaching upon opposite sides of the Wheel, rings 23 otl appropriate diameters and thickness, and which rings are held in place against the filler ring 8, means of bolts 24 which eX- tend transversely through the Wheel and when tightened up draw the side rings 23 into snug engagement against the edges of the filler 8 and at the same time the rings embrace the opposite sides of the elly l with sutiicient friction to substantially operate to exclude sand and dirt and other material from having access to the cliamberin which the resilient members are mounted.

I have found by actually constructing these Wheels on the principle of my invention that the operation of'the Wheel is in all respects the same as though a pneumatic or other equivalent tire were employed, and

by the use of my Wheel I am enabled to disl pense with expensive pneumatic tires and all chance of puncturing is eliminated. The cushion tire 6 which I employ may be of such a character as to be strong and dura-- ble and is only employed practically for the purpose of making the Wheel sound proof in operatiom as sutlicient resiliency is obtained by the movement of my springs 1l.

In actual operation substantially all of the springs save those immediately beneath the center are in constant operation and the Work is equally distributed through all of the several springs which are subjected to the load of the Wheel.

Having thus described my invention What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination with a central Wheel and an outer bearing rim eccentrically movable relative to the central Wheel, of a plu. ralit-y of sets of springs alternately 'dis posed on the 1periphery of the inner Wheell said sets of springs being secured adjacent their central portions to the outer member, links connecting the adjacent ends of said springs to the central Wheel, clips secured to the inner Wheel, said links having inner ends pivotally secured to said clips, and buifers secured under the central portions of the, springs and interposed betwt en the eccentrically movable members to prevent excessive movement. Y,

2.- The combination in a Wheel, of a central structure, with a telly and a tight band thereon, said fel ly having depressions, a rim engaging a tire, a Wooden iller lining the inside of the rim, tensioned springs rigidly secured at their central portion to the iller, said springs being adapted to suspend the central structure, links pivoted to the spring ends, and clips secured in'the depressions in the telly and connected to the links.

ln testimony. whereof I have hereunto setmy hand in the-presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY Gr. BALDWIN. Witnesses:

JOHN H. HERR'ING, CHARLES ED'ELMAN 

